The Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Belgium’s Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie-Flanders Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) renewed their commitment to advancing synthetic biology research through the extension of their Joint Center for Synthetic Biology.

The agreement was signed on December 15, 2025 in Tianjin, China, by Professor Xiang Hua, Director of CAS’s TIB, and Dr. Christine Durinx, Managing Director of VIB.

This renewed agreement builds upon the foundational collaboration established in December 2020, which initially focused on yeast synthetic biology and the biosynthesis of plant natural products. Leveraging the success of their previous joint research, talent exchange, and academic outputs, the expanded framework sets a more ambitious agenda for future cooperation.

The upgraded Joint Center will now concentrate on accelerating cutting-edge research and platform technologies within synthetic biology. Expanded research priorities include the study of chassis cell metabolic mechanisms and regulatory networks, pathway design and dynamic regulation, microbial protein and natural product biosynthesis, and the valorization of low-carbon compounds.

During the signing ceremony, Professor Xiang highlighted TIB’s leadership in the CAS International Science Program on CO₂ Fixation and Bioconversion (CO₂FIX). He formally presented Professor Kevin Verstrepen, Director of VIB Center for Microbiology, with a certificate as a Distinguished Scientist under the CAS CO₂FIX International Fellowship Initiative, underscoring the depth of this collaborative exchange.

This reinforced partnership aims to foster comprehensive and in-depth cooperation between TIB and VIB. The Joint Center is poised to serve as a high-level platform for Sino-Belgian exchange and innovation in synthetic biology.

Signing Ceremony [IMAGE: TIB]

Appointment of the Co-Directors [IMAGE: TIB]

Award Ceremony to Professor Kevin Verstrepen as the CAS CO2FIX Distinguished Scientist [IMAGE: TIB]

Source: Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology,

Chinese Academy of Sciences